Exploring the Role of Restorative Practices Facilitators in the Secondary School Setting

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 9:50 am Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Restorative and Peaceful Practices for Belonging and Relationship Building With Racially and Linguistically Diverse Students (Table 11)

Abstract

While restorative practices (RP) is hailed as one of the oldest criminal justice models in the world, the official advent of RP in education did not occur until the 1990s when educators began experimenting with RP as an effort to build, maintain, and restore community. However, the question of the person or people responsible for the implementation of RP in the educational setting lingers. Some schools have turned to full-time Restorative Practices Leads (RPLs) to shepherd the work. This case study explores the role of RPLs in four secondary schools. Through conducting 20 intensive, semi-structured interviews with stakeholders at each site, nine themes were established to promote self-efficacy, collective efficacy, and systemic implementation of RP via a full-time RPL position.

Author

• Rachel Bachmeier, West Fargo Public Schools